Related

Fruits and vegetables for prostate health
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) happens to almost all men as they age. It's a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate whose most common symptom is difficulty in urination. Usually it's not a serious problem, but it can affect the sufferer's quality of life.

Fruits and vegetables are good for your heart
Several years ago I reported on a study that looked at the effects of eating fruits and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C on the markers of inflammation in the blood that signal an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions (Bite 5/5/06 ).

Testing for Celiac Disease
It's clear that Celiac Disease can be very challenging to diagnose. Stomach pain, diarrhea and bloating, some of the more common symptoms of Celiac, can also mean anything from gallbladder disease to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Health & Nutrition Bites

Get the latest health and diet news - along with what you can do about
it - sent to your Inbox once a week. Get Dr. Gourmet's Health and Nutrition
Bites sent to you via email. Sign up now!

Avoid gallbladder surgery - eat your fruits and vegetables!

Surgery
is the most common treatment for gallstones: over 800,000 Americans have
their gallbladders removed every year. Although most studies of gallbladder
disease and prevention focus on specific nutrients in the diet, scientists
at the University of Kentucky Medical Center decided to take a broader
approach. They chose to investigate whether fruits and vegetables, which
are protective against other chronic diseases, might also protect people
from gallbladder disease (Amer J Med 2006;119(9):760-767).

They utilized data from a large, prospective study called the Nurses'
Health Study. Their chosen time period, between 1984 and 2000, included
77,090 women between the ages of 37 and 64. For the purposes of the study,
those women who had their gallbladder removed or had cancer of any type
prior to 1984 were excluded from the study. During the study, all participants
were asked to report on their health and complete a dietary questionnaire
every two years, which allowed the researchers to assess not only their
total fruit and vegetable intake, but also specific types of fruits and
vegetables.

They found that those women who ate the most fruits and vegetables (over
6.9 servings per day) reduced their risk of gallbladder removal by 21%.
Even adjusting for the subject's intake of fiber, protein, carbohydrates,
and various types of fats did not change the results. Most interesting
is that the protective effects of fruits and vegetable intake was even
stronger for those women whose Body Mass Index was over 30 or for those
who currently smoked.

What this means for you:

The researchers in this study noted that green, leafy vegetables, citrus
fruits, cruciferous vegetables and fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin
C appeared to have the most protective effects. It's easy to get more in
your diet: Stock up on fruits and vegetables so that they're handy for
when you find yourself looking in the refrigerator for something to snack
on. Pack them in your lunch and take extra to work so that you're not heading
for the vending machine. Your waistline will thank you in more ways than
one.